Space in the Paleochristian Basilica: lights and colour is the theme chosen for this year's annual conference held in honour of St Thomas Aquinas by the Theology Students' Association and the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta. The activity is going to be held on Tuesday at 6.30 p.m. at the Aula Magna, Foundation for Inernational Studies, St Paul Street, Valletta. Professor Jos Janssens SJ is the guest speaker for this academic evening taking place under the distinguished patronage of Mgr Joseph Mercieca, Archbishop of Malta.

Professor Janssens joined the Society of Jesus after his early education in Belgium. In 1963 he got a licentiate in Philosophy from St Albert University College in Louvain, a second degree in Philology (the science of language) in 1969 and a third one in Hagiography (the critical analyses of the life of saints) in 1972. In 1974 he obtained a licentiate in Archaeology from The Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology and in 1981 he graduated Doctor of Theology with specialisation in Christian Archaeology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He is the leading authority in the Christian world on Paleochristian basilicas and has specialised on the use of space in the basilica, the subject of his principal lecture in Malta. He is currently Professor of Christian Archaeology at the Gregorian University in Rome.

Professor Janssens will deliver his talk again at the Sacred Heart Seminary Hall, Victoria, Gozo on Wednesday at 9.15 a.m.

A public lecture is also being organised where Professor Janssens will speak about Parousia and Paradise in Paleochristian Art. This lecture is going to be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Erin Serracino Inglott Hall, Tal-Qroqq campus.

For further information on both events visit www.tsamalta.com or send an e-mail on tsa@um.edu.mt.